Happijac motor problem

[Americamper]

I got to use my add on Happijac motors exactly one time , to load my camper. I left the camper on the truck for about two years. I go to unload and the rear motors both blow their respective fuses as soon as the button is pushed. I disconnected the wires to both motors and pushed the buttons and no fuses blow. I know this looks like problems with each rear motor but it's hard to believe I only got one lift out of each rear motor. I assume that power could be applied directly to each motor to check them. Anyone have any input?

[covered_wagon]

Americamper wrote:
covered wagon, you were correct. The motors had gotten water inside. However I disassembled them , cleaned and reinstalled and they are working. I am interested in your bearing oiling trick.

Okay.... here's what you do twice a year, once in the fall and again in the spring.

You take a rubber tipped air nozzle and shoot about 5-10 p.s.i. compressed air into the small hole at the bottom of each white plastic motor cover. It will slide down like a piston so keep shooting small blasts until you can pull it off by hand. Inside the cover you will notice evidence of rust and moisture stains. Now, looking very closely at the steel housing to the electric motors, you will notice a very tiny weep hole at or near the bottom. You should squirt a liberal amount of 3 in one oil in there. Not flooding, but a good amount so you get the bottom bearing that is in the center lobe or bowl shape on the bottom end of the steel housing. That is where the motor shaft and bearing meet and get moisture trapped there. It won't hurt the elect. motor. I think I've squirt enough a time or two to have the oil dripping out a small amount afterwards. Again it won't hurt the motor. Afterward I wipe down the steel housing with a little oil on my hands.

To get the covers back on, I hold onto the top of the jack gearheads so as to not stress them while pushing the covers back up into place. Be sure to not cover the small hole at the bottom of the cover with your hand while pushing upward so air can displace or escape as you push them back up into place.

After about the third year I noticed the covers getting loose in the hot sun. On a very hot day a cover facing the sun fell to the ground. To solve this I placed stainless hose clamps on each cover up near the top with the clamp screw behind the motor so as to not be seen and just look like a ss band around each one. I think it helps stop some of the moisture too.

To better the process of getting the covers back on without stressing the jack gearheads, I think it would be great to use a wood clamp large enough to squeeze it back into place. I would not use a steel clamp but one of the new type used by carpenters and are plastic squeeze clamps seen at lumber yards.

[Joe417]

I had two of mine rebuilt earlier this year. HJ charges $60 each which I consider reasonable.

When I got them back I noticed that the weep ports on the bottom of the motor housing were sealed with some adhesive. I am thinking that HJ decided that more moisture comes in the weep holes than goes out.

How did you dis-assemble your motors? I couldn't get my motor out of the plastic housing. The two motor screws and the end bell could be removed, but the armature was held in by the brushes and I didn't want to damage them by pulling on the armature. I would have preferred to clean and oil them myself.

Did you have a secret method of pulling the brushes back to remove it?

[Americamper]

covered wagon, you were correct. The motors had gotten water inside. However I disassembled them , cleaned and reinstalled and they are working. I am interested in your bearing oiling trick.

[covered_wagon]

Homeless by Choice wrote:

covered wagon wrote:
Anyone interested in how to keep the lower electric motor bearings oiled you can pm me. Mine are still smooth sitting out in the weather 10 years now. I oil them twice a year.

Covered Wagon, please post that information here so that all can benefit.

Thanks,
LeRoy

Will do...... a little tired at this hour so later in the day tomorrow.

[Homeless_by_Cho]

covered wagon wrote:
Anyone interested in how to keep the lower electric motor bearings oiled you can pm me. Mine are still smooth sitting out in the weather 10 years now. I oil them twice a year.

Covered Wagon, please post that information here so that all can benefit.

Thanks,
LeRoy

[covered_wagon]

Anyone interested in how to keep the lower electric motor bearings oiled you can pm me. Mine are still smooth sitting out in the weather 10 years now. I oil them twice a year.

[Johnny_G1]

Its made by HJ, not much else to expect, never seen such junk???

[RamTC]

Americamper wrote:
The fuses seem to be blowing without the motors even budging. No hum or anything, just instant blow.

Sounds typical for the seized HJ motors. It's happened to my rears as well.

[Americamper]

The fuses seem to be blowing without the motors even budging. No hum or anything, just instant blow.

[covered_wagon]

Those elect. motors seize up if not covered in winter rains/ moisture. It's the bearing in the lower end of the motor that goes bad and that's usually before the jack mechanism portion shows problems. So I cover mine with plastic and wrap each one every winter.

You should run each one up and down every so often too. Don't let them sit idle for lengthy periods.

By running each one up and down individually you can tell by the sound if one is developing a problem as it will be a louder grind less smooth sound than the others.

[wnjj]

Try manually cranking the jacks a little. After sitting they may be frozen and causing the motors to stall.